


a rose by any other name

by rainny_days



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Injuries, Nicknames, Pre-Slash, everybody loves nino, kind of?, matsujun's terrible sleeping habits, nino and his nicknames, tbh i only put ohmiya bc every time i write them it comes out gayer than expected
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-14 10:24:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14767790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainny_days/pseuds/rainny_days
Summary: a series of ficlets on Nino and nicknames





	1. junnosuke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I kind of love Nino a lot, and when I first saw that Junnosuke Shukudai episode my instinctual reaction was 'that sounds like something Nino would call him'

It’s 3am, and Jun already knows that it’s going to be one of Those Days.

Those Days usually come hand-in-hand with concerts, the pressure of late-night planning and last-minute changes and _what do you mean, Leader, you want to shorten that dance_ slowly wearing away at his mood. Jun had made great strides in reining in his temper through the years he’s grown up in Arashi, but his infamous moodiness was still there, under layers of learned patience that wore away with every new cup of espresso.

Which is why he had locked himself in the dressing room, after an incident involving the dress crew, bright feathers, and a young intern bursting into tears.

Jun purses his lips as he scribbles out Lucky Man, trying to make room for the MC talk that they were missing time for. As he blinks hard against another incoming migraine, he hears the sound of a door opening, and a familiar voice rings out.

“Ah, that explains the guy crying outside the studio.”

Jun scowls darkly- “he got the costume wrong- it was supposed to be _pink_ feathers, not blue.”

Nino’s voice gets nearer, dry and amused. “I see, truly a tragedy for the times.”

There is a shift in the sofa cushions besides Jun, and for a moment he thinks Nino’s going to sit beside him. But no.

It’s worse.

“What the- _fuck_ -” Jun jerks his hand up, barely preventing the dark pen from scribbling on the page as a dark-haired head shoves its way onto his lap, until he’s looking down at an eyeful of smirking boy.

“Get off.”

“But it’s so comfortable here, on your stick legs.” Nino bats his eyelashes, having one of those moments where it was obvious why his fans still called him _forever sixteen_. Jun wasn't in any kind of mood to appreciate it, though, and he kept glaring down at Nino.

The boy sparkles back, turning to the table and speaking as if he wasn’t subject to one of Jun’s infamous glares. “Man, what is this, your fourth cup? Nah, you wouldn't be that grumpy on four cups- sixth? Seventh?”

Jun kind of hates how well Nino knew him. “Doesn't matter. I need to finish this.”

“And you have to get this set done by today, I assume?”

A gumble. “In a week.” a pause. “At _most_.”

“Okay, so let’s say five days.”

“Five d _ays-_ ”

“Plenty of time for our Director-san to get some sleep before he drives the entire crew to hysteria- you know Leader doesn't do well when people are crying. Or Aiba-chan- do you _want_ to rehearse while he’s crying along? That’ll totally ruin the melody of _Love So Sweet_ , you know.”

Jun sighs. “Nino, I get what you’re trying to do- but I need to finish this setlist, or we can’t start on anything else.”

“Okay, one, I very much doubt that there’s nothing for anyone to do, and two, I’m pretty sure that the concert won't be better if you wrote it on six cups of caffeine versus you on six hours of sleep. In fact, dare I say, might you make a _better_ setlist if you’re not tearing out your hair?”

Nino reaches up a pale hand, running his fingers through Jun’s hair. “And it’s such nice hair, too, shame if the fangirls had to put up with you going bald. Not everyone can pull off sexy baldness like I can, you know.”

“Sexy like an infant,” Jun grouses, but feels his eyes fall heavily at the soothing rhythm of Nino’s constant motions.

He can't help but make a noise of protest when the fingers disappear, but then the weight on his lap disappears, and two hands fall on his shoulders.

“Go to sleep, Junnosuke,” Nino murmurs, gently pushing Jun into a horizontal position. Jun hasn’t heard that nickname since that time on Shukudai-kun, and he can't help but remember the real reason that he blurted out that name to the interviewer, the reason that he pretended to forget, when he was asked what he would like his future girlfriend to call him.

After all, it was only ever Nino that gave him nicknames like these.

Jun thinks about arguing, but his brain was slowing down, and Nino was tucking something warm around his shoulders. He feels a brush of warmth on his forehead, and then the quiet rustle of papers, the sound of a click, and nothing.

(he wakes up at noon, mind clear, to the sound of Aiba’s laughter and Nino’s sharp, teasing tones, and finds his setlist completed in Nino’s small writing)

(it’s all wrong, of course, but Jun appreciates the thought)


	2. aibaka

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two aiba-focused things in a row i really love my sunshine boy

“Aiba-chan, get over here.”

Aiba blinks blearily at his phone. “Nino, it’s eight in the morning.”

“Your point?”

For somebody who was so bad at waking up, Nino was a remarkably early riser. Aiba attempts to process his words. “You want me to, come over? Nino, it’s New Years.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I have the new Halo game, so get your ass over here so I can kick it.”

Aiba blinks as he absorbs these words, feeling a slow warmth spread over him as he translated Nino’s words into what he actually meant. After two decades, it only took a few seconds.

Aiba had told his band members about how his parents were going on a cruise on New Years, how his brother was too far away - and his nephew too young - to visit. Every one of them had extended an offer for Aiba to join them for New Years, welcoming him into their families without a hint of hesitation.

Everybody but Nino.

Aiba had refused, insisting with a grin that he would enjoy a quiet New Year’s, for once. It was a lie, of course, and everybody knew it. Aiba wasn't as reliant on human company as people seemed to assume he was, but he did like being with people, and nobody wants be alone on New Year’s.

It was just that- would’ve been one thing if it was Arashi alone, but the thought of going for dinner with Sho and his strictly formal family, or Jun and the crowd that he was always around at New Year’s, or even Ohno and his mother and sister’s habitual quiet, made the shy, awkward fourteen-year-old inside of him cringe. The members understood this with the knowledge of eighteen years, and had left him alone with nothing more than worried glances and a promise that there would be a place for him, if he changed his mind.

Nino, on the other hand, had evidently predicted Aiba’s reaction, and planned this New Year’s ambush in the sharp, cunning way that he does.

“Aren’t you eating with your mom and sister?” he asks, though he can guess at the answer.

He can almost hear Nino rolling his eyes. “Kaa-chan’s over in Kyoto with nee-chan and her boyfriend, at some hot springs or something. Apparently they didn't bother to get a ticket for me, something about a national idol paying for his own trips, or something. I’m not going to waste gaming money on a  _ bath _ .”

_ He refused it for me _ , Aiba thinks, with the clarity of knowing Nino since they were children, and grins harder into the phone.

He must take a little too long, because Nino makes an impatient sound at the other end of the phone.

“Time’s a-wasting, Aibaka, get over here before I die of boredom. And bring some food- my fridge is currently a beer storage unit.”

Aiba giggles as Nino began to hum the jeopardy theme, feeling light and giddy.

“Alright, alright, Nino, I’m coming. What do you want me to bring, gyoza?”

(The next day, when the two of them woke up to the other members banging on the doors, drinks and tupperwares of homemade ozoni in hand, Aiba couldn't help the grateful tears that fell over the helpless grin on his face)


End file.
